Digital video recording (“DVR”) systems allow users to record media content assets (e.g., television programs, etc.) and then view or otherwise experience the recorded media content assets. For example, a user may use a DVR system to schedule a recording of a particular television program, after which the DVR system may record the television program and allow the user to play back the recorded television program in a time-shifted manner.
Over time, a DVR system may record and store (e.g., within a hard drive) an extensive library of media content assets. The DVR system may also store DVR data associated with the library of media content assets and/or the DVR system. The DVR data may include metadata descriptive of the media content assets, data representative of settings (e.g., recording instructions provided by the user, recording conflict resolution rules, etc.) of the DVR system, and/or data representative of business logic used by the DVR system to implement the various recording instructions provided by the user and/or any other operation performed by the DVR system.
Unfortunately, if the user desires to upgrade or otherwise switch to a new DVR system, the user typically has to program the new DVR system from scratch. For example, the user may have to provide a whole new set of recording instructions to the new DVR system and interact extensively with the new DVR system for the new DVR system to “learn” (i.e., develop the appropriate business logic) the tendencies and/or preferences of the user. This process can be tedious, time consuming, and daunting for the user, especially if the new DVR system has a different interface than the previous DVR system.
Moreover, it may be difficult or even impossible for the user to rebuild the library of media content assets that he or she had recorded on the previous DVR system. For example, the user may have to manually identify each media content asset that had been recorded and then manually determine how to acquire each media content asset (e.g., by searching within an electronic program guide for a rebroadcast of a particular media content asset and then directing the new DVR system to record the media content asset when it is rebroadcast). In addition to being tedious and time consuming for the user, this process may be futile for some media content assets if they are not scheduled to for rebroadcast.
In addition, a user manually reprogramming a new DVR system from scratch and/or manually determining how to reacquire each media content asset traditionally provides little or no benefit to the user, a service provider (e.g., a DVR service provider), or a media content provider.